Lump behind nipple, help!

[Alexmack2016]

It’s Saturday evening and my rabbits regular vet won’t be available until Monday. I’m feeling a lump behind one of my rabbits nipples and it seems rather large. I can kind of move the lump around and it’s not painful to her. The nipple also seems bigger than the others. I haven’t noticed this before because she’s always hated pets on her stomach. It is possible for her to develop cancer in her mammary gland if she’s spayed?

She also has issues with along her jaw abscesses, could she have developed on there as well?

She has a few health issues and is seen weekly by a vet, she had her last full exam last Friday, how could this have been missed, or could a lump like this have developed quickly?

Has anyone else dealt with this before. She’s 5 years old btw.

[LBJ10]

Yes, a spayed female can develop a mammary tumor. Spaying reduces the risk significantly, but tumors have still been known to occur. It is believed genetics may place a role.

Not all tumors are malignant. Since the lump appeared quickly, that is concerning. Unless, of course, this lump really was missed by the vet. Perhaps the vet just wasn’t feeling around in that area? You described it as being a hard lump, so it probably isn’t a cyst.

As for an abscess… I think it would be unlikely, unless there was an infection in this area that could lead to an abscess.

[Alexmack2016]

I took my rabbit to see the vet on Tuesday. She doesn’t think it was missed during her exam and she was really concerned at how fast the lump developed. She said it might be a few things but most concerning would be a fast spreading cancer. She referred me to another clinic to get a fine needle aspiration done to test for cancer cells, I have an appointment on Friday. The vet who will be doing the procedure said the chances of mammary cancer are pretty low but I have a bad feeling…

My rabbit is still acting perfectly normal like nothing is wrong, at least she’s not in any pain. I know rabbits hide pain and discomfort but she’s never been very good at that.

[LBJ10]

Hopefully it isn’t cancerous. Keep us updated!

[Alexmack2016]

No cancer! It was an inflamed duct, the vet was able to express all the fluid and the lump is gone. She said it’s not a common issue but it can happen even if she’s never had babies or lactated before. I’m so relieved!

[LBJ10]

That’s wonderful! Thank you for the update, I’m glad it turned out to be nothing serious.

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